Artefacts from Fjordur
On this page are a few interesting finds from the 2021 excavation of the farm mound and burial site
Four clay pipe pieces were found at the farm mound. Clay pipes were used to smoke tobacco from the 16th to the 20th century. Their size, decoration and markings change with time so archaeologists can figure out what time period they are from.
There is a lot of soot accumulated on the clay pipe bowl meaning it was heavily used. The people who lived at the farm mound may have been thinking about their health or their purse because four pipes is not much for the time.
A clinker nail is a nail and bolt that was used in ship and boat building. The nail is hammered through two planks and the bolt is fastened to the nail on the other side.
Hundreds of clinker nails were found during the burial site excavation. Many of them have wood remains but when the nail rusts it coats the wood thus preserving it.
A shutter from an iron was found on the farm mound. The markings on the shutter say ‚5 B&O Liberg Rosenfors‘, labelling from its swedish manufacturer.
The shutter is lifted up and a hot iron piece is placed inside, then the iron is ready for use. A great effort was placed on ironing most fabrics in the household and you could not be seen wearing wrinkled clothes
A medicinal vial with a cork and a clear liquid inside was found on the farm mound. The vial is likely from the turn of the 20th century, probably aquired from the old Seydisfjordur pharmacy. It is not known what liquid is in the vial as it has not been analyzed.
A silver ring from Burial 1, found in five pieces. The ring is decorated with a triangle pattern, a common decoration from the Viking period. The ring is closed by knotting the ends and not by fusing them.
The triangles are of slightly different sizes meaning they could have been cut by a knife and not stamped into the silver. A reconstruction of the ring was made by Gunnhildur Halla Ármannsdóttir, a student of silversmithy.
A tounge-shaped brooch of bronze was found in Burial 1 and is incredibly well preserved. This is a Borre-style decoration on the brooch which is characterized by thick, symmetrical ribbons, knots and animal heads that twist together.
This style was popular in Scandinavia in the 9th-10th centuries. The brooch was used to fasten together clothing and would have been a prominent piece in the persons appearance.